Contributions to STC
Honors and Awards
Presentations, Publications, and Web Sites
Professional Experience
Mentoring Students or New Technical Communicators
Professional Qualifications (Academic)
Community Service 

• Length of Professional Career: almost 21 years (since 1985, although some part-time work extended back to 1980)
   
• Length of STC Membership: almost 16 years (since 1990)

Salt River Project (1980–present)
Risk Management Department, Contract Employee (1980–1985)
After moving to Arizona and while continuing my education, I worked part-time for the Risk Management Department of Salt River Project (SRP), the third largest public power company in the U.S., which employs about 4,500 people. I wrote several dozen investigative reports and a number of procedures.

Risk Management Department (1985–1990)
In May 1985, I was hired by SRP as a full-time employee. I continued to write several dozen investigative reports and photographed accident and incident scenes. I developed a template with fields that could be used to produce thirty kinds of reports with many dozens of variables, which maintained a standard and consistent format. Another template I created included diagrams for faster vehicle accident reporting. Procedure writing expanded to cover the various facilities around the Phoenix metropolitan area. Some procedures were operational, some were for mechanical systems, and a number were for electronic systems. Graphical design work included some mapping and display construction.

I created new ergonomic interface screens for the department’s mainframe database system and a related mainframe system. I created dozens of ergonomic paper forms to more easily capture handwritten information gathered by the department. I was a founding member of the department’s newsletter team, and as editor I created the first computerized version, created a number of illustrations, and wrote several dozen articles.

Information Technology Department (1990–present)
In 1990, the Information Technology Department hired me as a documentation analyst for software written specifically for use within the company. I immediately discovered and then joined STC and became an active member in the Phoenix Chapter. I was promoted to Senior Documentation Analyst in 1995, now one of only two such senior personnel in the Information Technology Department, which employs 250 people.

During my fifteen years in the department, I created dozens of new document designs for quick reference cards, booklets, job aids, and manuals. Templates created from these were used extensively by coworkers in the department. I designed the template for use with all departmental training documents. Based on industry research, I created the department’s estimation logarithm and created an Excel spreadsheet to generate the calculated estimates for projects.

I gained a reputation as an expert in typography and developed a keen interest in cognitive theory, color theory, Information Mapping, publishing norms, photography, and graphics. I created several typefaces and freely distributed these within the company. As an expert in the department page layout software and department expert in the graphics software, I have continuously given support to the other department technical communicators to extend their skill sets. This support has also extended to others outside the department in areas such as print production, typography, layout, document design, template creation, grammar and style, and graphics.

Through my experience with editing and publishing an STC chapter newsletter, I was able to assist in the pioneering of digital publishing at the company print shop. Also from STC experience, I helped pioneer the use of locked digital storage of documents within the company and later the use of a document management system.

In 1993, I envisioned and then coordinated the networking of interested technical communicators within the company, which numbered over fifty. Activities included a daylong seminar of speakers and networking opportunities, and the coordination of other educational seminars and opportunities.

I gave a thorough presentation of all aspects of typography to the application development team I was assigned to in 1998, and I helped create standards for typeface use within the Information Technology Department.

In 1998, a new departmental newsletter was created for distribution to about 4,000 employees and contractors. I designed the banner and layout; selected the typeface combinations; wrote computing procedure tips, communication tips, and other department news articles; and coordinated the contributions by others and the schedule. The newsletter was very well received by company employees. It was entered in the 1999 International Technical Publications Competition and received an Excellence Award.

Over the past decade and a half, I have created cover designs for hundreds of documents. In 2002, I designed the layout and graphics for the IT Training Department manuals, including the cover design. The document design incorporated single sourcing to produce training manuals, instructor manuals, and reference documents.

As the technical communication team’s Webmaster, I maintain our intranet presence and coordinate the content made available there.